Sanatorium

Intro: -Maria Conchita Alonso, 'Tu Eres El Hombre'- So I'm very happy to announce that these are the last five one-shots! It was fun! I should do this again, sometime. (smiles) Well, thank you all for reviewing. Please enjoy the final five. (bows)

A/N: I had to alter the ending. If anyone here tell my which fic it was too similar to, I'll give you a kudo.

It was silent, dark, and misty outside. Oak trees the size of skyscrapers compiled into giant forests to make this world of tree-house islands.

This did not bode well with the big puppy. You had to either swing on vines from tree to tree, or propel a boat and then climb up the tree to get from place to place. None of these ideas settled with Kurogane. The world was fairly peaceful – fighting with weapons was prohibited – so the ninja found it best to catch up on sleep he well deserved. When he wasn't babysitting the damn mage he was saving the kid's ass. He needed a damn break.

Fog covered a thin, simple sheet over the windows. The fire needed much attention to retain its warmth. Outside rain flew about in a fury.

"Kurogane-San, do you think that's a storm?" a small, innocent voice asked.

The only downfall was that Sakura was sick, so he had to take care of her, too. It was awkward being alone with a young lady after so long. Only when he was alone with that damn psycho did he feel relaxed lately. Kurogane shook that thought – demons were trying to posses him.

"I think it's common for people over here. Who know…" Kurogane muttered, handing a damp cloth to the girl.

Sakura nodded, taking the fabric to place on her forehead graciously. "Syaoran-San would know. So would Fai-San. Fai-San is wonderful at getting information!"

Chapped lips pursed into an irritated frown. Kurogane did not like others to use, 'Fai,' and a stressed, 'wonderful,' in the same sentence. In fact, when the two were paired together with an, 'is,' between them and a talent the ninja was unaware of at the end, it bugged the Hell out of Kurogane.

"Really? How so?" the ninja inquired. For some reason, be blushed at the fact he wanted to know what Fai did and how.

"Well, Fai-San bats his eyes like this and talks like this and twists his finger in his hair like this!" Sakura exclaimed. Proud of her rendition, she smiled.

Kurogane grunted. Fai was flirting, is all, no big. Still, that fact annoyed him. It annoyed him to no end. Staring at the girl, he found himself shocked to be asking, "with the guys, too?"

Sakura blinked her jade exotics a time or two. Holding her hand to her face, she recalled all the times Fai-San had coaxed men. "Yes, but sometimes he says he needs to put on women's clothes, so he does."

Kurogane choked, spitting the tea he was drinking out.

-O-

"Uh...Fai-San? Fai-San…?"

Syaoran called out for his traveling companion, receiving no reply. Wind harshly implored his clothes and hair to dance wildly with force. Mokona jumped from one shoulder to the other, inspecting where Fai had fallen.

"Fai-San!"

-O-

"…So it's exactly three cups?" Kurogane repeated.

"Yes!" the girl assured. "And Fai-San like it moist, so he cuts the baking time by five to seven minutes."

"Makes sense…" the ninja murmured. It was a wonder how Fai could keep a conversation running so long without bring around. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

"You know a lot about cooking, Kurogane-San," the princess noted with a smile. "You should have helped Fai-San in Oto. Do you cook often?"

Kurogane blushed wildly with a twitch. Cooking was sissy stuff, the way he was raised. He only had interested in cooking when it was done and ready to be eaten or when Fai was cooking. Cooking seemed to be the only thing Fai would ever drop his mask at. That's why it was his stupid dream – that maybe he could keep conversation going while the other's mask was off.

-O-

Syaoran's eyes widened. He had to get Fai somewhere and quick – a hospital, maybe. Did they even have hospitals in this world? He didn't know.

Fai was critical. Syaoran would have to take him somewhere first and then get someone to help. He could keep a pretty leveled head in tough situations, but only for so long. He needed someone who would know what to do. Someone like…

"Kurogane-San."

-O-

"You know a lot about Fai-San! I guess I should expect that from room-mates," Sakura commented. Her eyelids fell heavy in sorrow. "I room with Syaoran and I don't know all that much about him, still…"

"It's not like I push on him to tell me stuff," Kurogane muttered, tending to the fire. He bit his tongue – after thinking about it, he did push Fai to tell him stuff.

"Kuroagne-San…do you like Fai-San?" Sakura's eyes were innocent and unknowing. It was like she herself was unsure about both the question she asked and the reply she would receive.

"Uh… What the fu-"

"Fai-San…said he liked you. He told me that," Sakura stated gently with a warm smile, "not just like, but like, 'that.' I'm not quite sure what he meant by that, though. Do you?"

Kurogane heart pumped, skipping a beat. She shouldn't have told him these things. Once he put it all together, it woud be over. The truth was that Fai could never like him, 'like that.'

"Do you thin," Sakura started, fumbling her hands, "that you could like Fai-San like that, too?"

Kurogane pounded a palm to his face. "He wouldn't say anything like that. Are you sure it wasn't, 'I don't like Kuro-Rin like that?'"

Sakura's eyes widened in curiosity. "His words exactly were, 'I-'"

"KUROGANE-SAN!"

The door flung open as a wet figure burst into the single-room lodging. Noticing the dripping water, he strayed from the fire place. He took a moment to catch his breath – and examine the situation: the ninja and princess both a little flushed. It was as if someone had just proposed their love.

"Uh…?"

Syaoran started up again, returning to his mission. "Kurogane-San! It's Fai-San! We were – it doesn't matter, really, and I'm not supposed to tell, but… Oh! Fai-San! He's in the hospital!"

"What the-?" Kurogane's eyes sharpened. When it came to Fai, he was oddly even more serious than usual. "How? Never-mind that, what now?"

"I have enough money for the bill. I've already worked it out financially with the doctor, but I'm not quite sure what to do next," the boy stuttered out. He was out of breath by the time he was done, so he took a breather.

Kurogane nodded. "Where do I go?"

"I can take you there," Syaoran assured.

"Sakura is sick, though!" Mokona reminded. "Syaoran should stay with her! Mokona will lead Kurogane!"

Sakura fretted, not wanting to be the current center of attention. "All I have is a small fever. I'll be fine alone!"

"No," the most mature said, "we'll all go. We can have you checked at the hospital, anyhow."

-O-

Getting to the destination was enough of the man-pride points lost but this was ridiculous. Strolling down a bare white hall railed with sets of white doors, Kurogane grunted. Fai's damn door had better be close by.

"Room One-Seven-Two!" Sakura pointed our, finding the correct door.

The ninja practically ran to the door. Of course, he claimed it to be more of a, 'power walk.' Flinging the door open, the man roared. He threw a nursing maid out and slammed the door shut. There was barely an understandable phrase. "Weneedourprivacynow!"

Syaoran attempted to open the door but was stopped by the nurse. She smiled. "Only one guest per visit."

"I need to get in there! So does she!" Syaoran panted, pointing to Sakura.

Sakura pleaded, "please, Fai-San is like an older brother to me!"

The nurse shook her head. "No exceptions."

"Can Mokona count as carry-on luggage?" the manjuu asked with a chime.

The woman practically fainted but managed to shake her head slowly. "I'll stay out here and informe you when they're done. Please stay in the reception room for now."

-O-

Kurogane growled, mumbling obscenities under his breath and pulling a chair up to sit on. The room was completely white with sharp furniture, accents, and accessories: a bed, two chairs, the windows and its blinds, a petite rest room, and a stand with medical documents, needles, and medical utensils…

"What happened?"

Fai looked up. He had a rather big book in his hands. It wasn't very thick – maybe a few pages long but it was large. He looked up. His blue eye was sparkling as brightly as ever. With exception to a bandage over his right eye, a few more to cushion an arm and a cast on one of his legs, he looked the same. The same, sappy smile was present and his skin didn't seem at all affected.

"Well," Fai began, "the prince just swept the princess of to his land where they lived happily ever-after."

Kurogane slapped a palm against his forehead. He growled, "Not that, this whole mess."

"Oh. I'm not telling."

-O-

"Syaoran-Kun… Fai-San is going to be alright, yes?" Sakura asked, squeezing the boy's hand.

Amber eyes nodded. "He'll be alright."

Silence filled the air. At this time in the evening, they were the only visitors.

"…Sakura-Hime?" Syaoran choked.

Sakura's attention focused on the boy. Turning around in an upright position, she smiled warmly. "Yes?"

"Well…I've learned something out of the experience, so I'll tell you: you should say what you need to before things like this happen… Fai-San was telling me earlier…so, what I mean is…"

Sakura's head fell to a side in confusion. Her cheeks burned lightly as her heart gently beat.

Syaoran's heart thumped loudly in rhythm. His heart nearly stopped at his next thought: "I want you to be happy, so I've kept my distance. I really like – no, I love you, Sakura-Hime."

-O-

"And since when have you said something that's not completely, utterly stupid or embarrassing to me, the group, or yourself?" Kurogane asked.

Fai poked an eyebrow up. "Kuro-Sha? I don't get your drift."

"I mean is you've pretty much done it all. What's another few dents to your pride? Hell, you don't even have any," Kurogane growled.

Fai smiled, nodding his head. "But it would hurt your pride."

A crimson eye widened in humiliation. "No. You see, when it comes to your idiocy, my pride disappears and then reappears when you stop talking. Therefore it receives no dent."

Fai sighed. "Yeah right. You're ashamed just to be seen with me, Kuro-Chu. Don't act like I'm not picking up your notes as you leave them."

A nerve pulsated. He kicked the chair and it rammed against the wall, shattering into pieces. "Look, just get it out. You'll feel better; I'll feel better; and I won't end up strangling you to death."

Fai sighed. "It's really embarrassing, Kuro-Tan."

"Like I haven't seen you say embarrassing things before," Kurogane grunted.

Fai nodded with a weak smile. "It's been one year since we met."

"So?"

Another weak smile fell on Fai's face. "See? It means nothing to you. But for me, I think that's something special. So I wanted to do something nice for you. As soon as I decided that, I saw this really pretty flowers and I thought you might like them so I reached out to grab them and fell. That's all."

Kruogane stared blankly without a word. Words had escaped him. He had no idea what to respond to that with.

"A stupid flower? That's the reason you fell from God-knows-where and ended up like you did? That – it's – why would you even do something as stupid as that?" Kurogane screamed, thrashing at random things. He calmed down, staring Fai in the eyes.

"I told you you'd think it was stupid…"

Kurogane sat down. Because he had broken the chair earlier, he had to sit on the bed.

"…Do all the damn stories you read end up with, 'happily ever-after?'"

Fai sighed with a chuckle. "Mine doesn't."

Kurogane nodded. "Are you feeling alright, at least?"

A blue eye slid open in shock. "Kuro-Wanko actually cares? Where's the Kuro-Wan I know and what have you done with him?"

Kurogane growled, crossing his arms in a pout. "Look. Consider it a one-year anniversary thing or whatever. Enjoy it while it lasts. God knows you like it."

Fai smiled lightly, biting his lower lip. He placed the book atop a nightstand crawling over to Kurogane. He slipped an arm across the ninja's neck placing his chin on the left shoulder. "So Sakura told you. It took longer than I expected for her to spill it out."

"You're going to go to Hell for using her like that," Kurogane glowered.

Fai nodded, sliding his eyes shut. "It hurt when I fell."

"I imagine."

"So I want you to make it all better," Fai cooed.

Kurogane grunted. He should have expected this much. "By doing what?"

"Glad you asked!" Fai cheered, slipping into Kurogane's lap. He smiled, positioning himself until he felt comfortable. "There's one spot the doctor didn't bandage for me. You see, I fell head first," Fai explained, tapping a finger to his mouth. "When I was little, my mommy would kiss me where I got hurt. Didn't yours? Anyhow, I'd like you to do that."

Kurogane felt sickened by the subject of his mother. His voice was barely that of a whisper now. "Yeah. She did that."

"So kiss me you fool."

Kurogane obeyed. Really, this was taking it a little too far for a one-year gift. Fai broke off first with a giggle. "Thank you, Kuro-Chi. That's enough. It'd be a problem if you actually liked it and asked for more. I mean, I am a rather wonderful kisser, but it would dent your man-pride so!"

That sickened Kurogane. The point Fai could tally up all of Kurogane's thoughts like a mind-reader was humiliating. Fai flopped down, bending over to reach for something in his furry coat next to the bed. Fai pulled it out. He turned it around, still hiding it from the ninja.

Fai giggled again before attacking Kurogane and slipping it behind his ear. Kurogane didn't know what it was, but concluded it had to be that flower Fai was referring to earlier.

"Can you guess what kind it is by the scent?" Fai asked, cuddling into Kurogane. It was rather difficult with the fact Kurogane's arms were crossed and he refused to uncross them. "I'll give you hints. It's like your personality – fiery, hot, and red, but its petals are really soft – kind of like your hair. And it's thorny. I pulled out most the thorns, but there's still a couple…"

"A rose."

-O-

"I like you, too, Syaoran. Perhaps I'm using that word too lightly. I think linking someone, 'like that,' differs from person-to-person, but in this case, I think it might just be love."

-O-

"Very good. I think it was obvious, though," Fai sighed airily, "Anyhow, I think roses are Kuro-Rin's kind of flower. They fit him perfectly. What's even better, I'm not allergic to them!"

"You're allergic to flowers?" Kurogane asked, somewhat curious.

Fai snickered, "That's for me to know and you to find out!"

As soon as Kurogane had an even better come-back to that the doctor entered. Fai switched to what can only be known as, 'sparkle, sparkle mode.' Fai jerked his head in a teasing manner, smile broadening. Tucking a lock of hair behind his ear, he cooed an, "Oh! Doctor!"

This-Doctor-Ruined-His-Moment-Wiht-Fai... This doctor would know the wrath of a ninja! The man – upon seeing Kurogane's fierce glare – cowered in fear, dropping his held documents and running away as he screamed like a little girl.

Fai pouted. "Kuro-Wanko! I could've gotten great information from him about lots of stuff! Like, I could have acted like an innocent, little girl with amnesia like we saw in that one anime in that world back then! You know, whatstheworldsname? And then-"

"Look, you idiot. You're not getting information like that anymore," Kurogane stated. It was a demand – no exceptions.

Fai blushed, somehow seductively. "My, aren't we protective¸ Kuro-Sama?"

"Damn right," the ninja growled, "and I get crazy jealous. Just so you know, you man-whore."

"That's called a gigolo, Kuro-Min. But don't worry. I don't get paid for it," Fai explained with an airy smile. He received a menacing glare from Kurogane in return. "Uh…that was a joke, Kuro-Tan…"

"Well it wasn't very funny," Kurogane glowered. He sighed in defeat, kissing Fai on the cheek before leaving the room. "Get some rest. If you're not better by tomorrow morning I swear I'll grab you and throw you over a tree."

Fai smiled as Kurogane closed the door behind him. Maybe he should hurt himself trying to grab roses more often…

Afterthoughts: Did anyone imagine Fai's bandages like Rei Ayanami's? They were supposed to look like that. (laughs) If that doesn't fit your fancy, think of Ritsuka Aoyagi's infamous bandages except, like, worse.